No time to read? Enjoy a quick 3-min overview of the below: https://bit.ly/apr24-3mv

We are already 25% of the way through 2024, and if you haven’t checked in to see where you are with your goals, now is an excellent time to review them. I meet with my recruiting firm-owner peer group monthly to discuss various topics. This month, several of them pointed to the success they have been having from reading the 12 Week Year, “How to achieve more in 12 weeks than most do in 12 months.” OK, I’m listening! In this month’s article, I discuss insights on personal development and how to stay focused on your annual goals.

    • It’s all in the execution – It seems obvious but harder to do in practice. The long and the short of the 12-Week Year comes down to how you spend your time executing to reach your goals. The book also sears into your mind that time is passing so quickly that if you are not present each day on how you use your time, you are less likely to meet those goals. It is a great read (or, in my case, a great listen) as I am linking this new habit with another habit I’ve started this year – biking to my office at least two times a week (taken from Atomic Habits). When I get to work, my team gets to hear all my reflections about how we will crush our goals this quarter. With a deliberate focus on executing our daily activities that drive results, we are in better control of the outcomes. Our results are the scorecard of how efficient our work was. It does come down to execution.

 

    • Develop annual plans for different areas of your life – If you are a business owner like me, you may spend too much time thinking about work. I definitely slipped in the self-care department last quarter. Still, I made more time with my three kids. 12 Week Year reminds us to create annual plans for the different areas of our lives (personal, relationships, health, finances, spiritual, and work.) While it may be the default for me to think about the steps I need to make with my team to reach our annual goal, I am reminded that my work plan is just a component that fits into my overall personal life plan. What a great perspective. Take the time to honor these different areas of your life.

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    • Celebrate the Small Wins – The annual goal is a journey, and we are already 25% there. I decided to take a moment each week with my team to reflect on and celebrate the small wins we’ve made along the way. The small wins reflect our execution activities. The big wins will come. Here we are. It’s now April. Check-in with yourself as to where you are with your annual plan. If you’ve not made an annual plan, that’s ok. You can start today. How will you know where you are compared to where you want to be? This can be a fun exercise if you haven’t done one yet. Take a half day off, go to a favorite place (beach, hike, backyard), and use a journal to get all those ideas out of your head and onto paper. The pause in the routine will be satisfying. Enjoy the moment, and I can’t wait to hear how your next three months go!

Join me later this month for a lively and honest conversation with my good friend and colleague Luetrell Toler as we discuss this topic and what’s happening in our market. Enjoy!